Means for marking or cutting lenses.



L. H. SKINNBR.

S FOR MARKING OR CUTTING LENSES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG, I2, 1911.

MEAN

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

Witnesses Inventor L ,ewssFLESNIWTIQIp onrran sauras PATENT-ohm@ n. sinNNER, or-scnENncmAnY, NEW YORK, AssIGNoIt or oNELHiiLr' im l MORRIS 'sHnLDoN Loan, or soiijnNnc'rnnY; Nnwjizjom,

. MEANS non Manni-NG oie-comms Lnnsns. f

To allwhom, t may concern! Be' it known that I, Lewis H. SKINNER,v

a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have-invented certain new and is a specification.

This invention relates to means for marking or cutting lenses.

vision of an instrument operating in a novel and more eilicicnt manner, and also the pro# vision of lan instrument of compact 'and relatively vsimple constructon'fby Which an uncut lens of anyliiiid can be readily placed yin*aiiir'desiredangular or axial position,

firmly-held by its edge in'said position, and

its inisliedoutlinc marked orcut by 'a cut ting? tool that is guided by apatte'rn vor te`m,

piet of anyl desired shape, preferably' 'arf ranged directly 1 over vthe lens, While. thev operator has at all times any unobstructed View of and free `'access to the lens and the associated mechanism, which greatly facilitates the general' operation and also the detection oi" any tendencyr of the lens to more away from its proper position, alf though 'such tendency is practically `eliminated by the invention, thereby insuring a high degree of accuracy in the positioning of the axis of the lens which is so veiy essenl Tl the preparation of' lenses.-

In I tlie'acconipanying' .drawing illustrating one' of the embodiments of the invention,"

Figure 1 is a top view of the instrument showing the parts in one vofthe many positions that they takein use; rEig. 2 is a sectionen the line 2-2 of'Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is ya eral outline of an uncutlens.'

longitudinal section of one of the patternclamps; Fig. 1 is a top view of a lens p'ati the gentern or templet;v and Fig., 5 shows The uncut' lens 6, as itfis received from the manufacturer, has its faces` ground to definite curvature or form'biit its periphery or edge is' more or less rough and somewhat larger than the finished lens is to be. The

axis' of this lens, as determined by 'a suitable e instrument, is marked upon its surface before the cutting operation, usually by means ot Trulia ink as shown at 7, in Fig. The, cuiivatuie ofthe lens 6 shown yin 'F-ig. ,2 is

' chosen merely for the purpose of illustra# p drawing, one form of The object'o'fthe invention is the pro-I `and lens clamps.

- Specification of Lettersfatent. Pa'id'Nov, if?,

axiso'f tlienishedlens' are determined t placing the lens 6 'overfthe central portion;

of a protractor or graduated circular p 'ftej 60 S, cut in or mounted' upon the lens/,supp i ing member or base 9 ofthe instiiim whichinay bc of any` suitable forni. l'In y ,l base is 'showin which can-be provided with'a'drawer 1O`for"con`f35 veniently holding patterns andotlier partsfy p iotractor is divided into degrees byff lines preferably extending ,frondf its'cente'iff tojfits circumference.' The numbef'ofdif grees'corresponding to each line is 'marke 70 on' thel actual'protiactorbu't iifostv of these4 numbers' havebeen omitted from the `drajufY ing'for the sake'of clearnessi Afterallin'ingl, the aiis of the lens 'Withfth'e proper line thefprotraotor or decente'ring it a"certain`l75 ninberof millimeters, asmay be`nec'essary,L it is secured in'p'osition bythe clanipjs'11,:l 12, the recessed innerends 13, 14, of yizlfiich,A i V are provided with ar'nsfor,V branches having', inwardly extending projections 15, 16, 'that'fso engage the edges of 'the'v lens. The outer? ends ofthe clamps are provided Withv slots 17,18*,'tl`ii'0ug'li Whchvstuds 19, 20, project.`

The clamps are thus longitudinallyy andan;

passing through the centerotI said pref- I tractor. The studs 19 20proj'ect upwardly-,Q from the bar through slots 25, 26, inv th'eftopfl of lthebase that are coneentrically arrangeg'i withn'espect to the axis ofthe protractor'i and areoi suijiicient length to permit the` necessary angular adjustment of the- Studs.,r

Ordinarily `these yslotsfl0 will extend over a little more than ninety degrees. .p

l/Vhen the lens'hasbeen clamped in proper, ly, positionja pattern or; templct of the, type., shown in Fig. 4 is placedover lthe lensandyl secured in place by means yof the clamps; v 28,*"a'i'ld the stiids'l, 32, projecting upward ion' the 90 1 below the protractor and -pii'otally mounted upon a stud or screw 24 having its axis.;

damping mas j a9, om ,they

I made of transparent Celluloid, or `other transparent or substantially transparent material, so that when it is in position the operator has an unobstructed vieiv of the :lens and the protractor during the marking operation and can detect any disturbance of the position of the lens.

l of 'the'openings are marked on the patterns close the cutter is running tothe rough edge of' the lens and thus avoidy breakage and loss of lenses. The patterns are made sulliciently thick to stand usage Without -injury and have openings 36 that are elliptical, round or of otherI forms, corresponding to the finished shape of the lens. The axes at 37, 38, `so that these marks can be alined or :made to register with the axes of the protractor when positioning the patterns over the lens. The material of the patterns is so tough and elastic that it will conform more or less to the curvature of the edge portion` of the lens when clamped down.

llotatably mounted at one end 1n a bearing 89, pivotally supported 4on the base 9, is

j a jointed arm 40 that carries a diamond or other cutter 4l at its outer end. After the lens and pattern have beeni'secured in position, as above described, the operator brings the cutter into COntaCtWith the lens and moves it aroundthe edge of the open-` ing 3 6, thus making a cut or mark inthe 4"skilled in the art.

surface'of the lens at a distance from the edge of the opening equal tothe radius of the vcutter holder, the dimensions of the opening being 'made correspondingly larger .than those of the inished lens. After the cut or mark has been made, the pattern and lens Vclamps are released and the lens removed. j The portion of the lens outsideof thi-amari: "or cutis then broken oil in the lusual v"manner and the edges vof thel 'lens ground smooth. 'lf desired, a manuali` held and operated cutter can be usedvvit the rest o'l` the instrument instead of the cutter described .as will be obvious to those In :using the instrument, the operator first places the uncut lens over the protractor in the desired position with respect to lits graduations andwhileholding it with I' one hand, vvith the other hand brings one of the lens ,clamps into' position toengage essere@ the les ses were .it inrrlac.

He can also see how la maar by screwing down its clamping nut.l Then the other clamp is similarly engaged with the opposite portion of the edge of the lens and secured in place. This method of securing the lens by its rough edge has proved to be very effective in practice and obviously is not to be limited in its use to the particular instrument illustrated in the drawing,v since it canI .be used with other forms olf/pattern and cutting mechanisms. After securing the lens firmly in position, in the manner just described, the pattern is placed over the lens, preferably in direct contactl with its upperl surface, and after locating its marks or axes in properpositon with respect to the protractor, it `is held by one hand, While being clamped in position by thev other hand. i y* i From the foregoing it will be evident that the lens is lirmly held While the operator has at all times an unobstructed view of the lens and protractor, and none of the parts interferes` with the free manipulation of the cutter, so that lenses can be accuratelyl and rapidly cut4 to meet the speciications of anoculisti prescription.y

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of my invention, together 4with the apparatus which l vnow consider to repize-A sent the best embodiment thereof.; but l desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means. j

vWhat I claim as 'neu and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. ln a lens cutter or marken'the combination of a support for thelens which is provided with angular graduations, adjustable clamps, each of which has arms engaging the edge of the lens for holdino' it with itsaxis'in the desired position relative to said graduations, and a. pattern that is placed over the lens and is provided with an opening for determining the shape of the finished lens, the arrangement of the clamps and the pattern permitting free access to the entire surface-of the portion of the uncut lens that is to form the. nished lens.

i2. In alens cutter or marker, the combination cfa support for; receiving the lens dur-ing the cutting or marking operation which is provided with graduations thatare visible through the lens, independently slidable devices mounted on the top or' the support which engage the edge oi the uncut leus and hold vit in the desired position on the support relative to the graduations,a pattern that issupported over the lens and has an opening therein, and means engaging the outer portionoi the pattern for holding it in place on the lens-thereby leaving the central 'j portion exposed. v c

3.` ln a lens cutter or marker, the combination of a su 1,1 man.

tion of a supportior the lens during the cutting or marking operationthat is pro` vided with a protractor that is visible through the lens, a pivotal.v member located below the lens, studs carried by the member,` devices adj ustably mountedon the studs that arein sliding engagement with the top ofE the support and engage and hold the lens thereon with its'axisin any desired relation tothe protractor,and means ,for securing the devices lin adjusted position.y

4. In a lens cutter or marker, the combina-` vided with the tirstsupport, ,clamping devices adjustl ably mounted on the pivots` that engage the lens and -hold'it on its supportin any desired relation to the graduations, ,and meansV for seciiring the devices intheir adjusted positions. 4 y 5. In a lens cutter or marker, the comb1nation of means for supportingthe-lens that,

the edge of the lens, and means for securing the devices in their adjusted positions. (3. ina lens cutter or marker,- the combination of aflens sup ortingmember having-a graduated' circle or positioning the lens, a support,ja pivot on which the` support is mounted for movement about the center of the circle, studs carried by the outer ends of thesupport, clamping Adevices havi slots that engage the studs and are angular y and longitudinally adjustable about said studs, and nuts on' the studs forsecuring lthe devices and studs intheir adjusted positions.

7. In a 'lens cutter or marker, the combination of a base having va graduated circle on its upper portion for positioning the axis of the lens, a bar arranged below said portion.,

a piyot in `line,withthe-centerof ,the circle l on which the bar is mounted, Lstuds carried,

by the ends of the bar that project upwardly above said portion 4and are movable with the bar about the center of the circle, clamping devices having slots in their outer ends that engage the studs above said portion and are angularly and longitudinally adjustable about said studs, the inner ends of the devices being adapted to engage'the lens, and nuts on the studs for securing the studs and devices in adjusted position.

8. In a lens cutter or marker, the combination of a support having a graduated circle on its top and concentric slots adjacent the edge of the circle, a bar arranged below the top of the support, a pivot in line with the center of the circle on which the middle of the bar is mounted, studs carried pport for the lens that prof, graduations, pivots, a suppnjtv vfor the A pivots that is rotatably ,mounted on bythe ends ofthe bar that. project upwardly.z through said slots and are movable'- Withthe: bar about .thecenter of the circlepclamping j members having slots in their outer ends that engage the projecting portions of the H studs andare angularly and. longitudinallyi adjustableabout said studs,1the innerl ends of the clamping membensengaging the edge Q ot' the lens, and nuts-.on thedlpper endsfof'y the studs forl securing the barand-devices in.;

In a lens cutter' or marker, the combinan tion of a support-for the lens, andlmeans :tor holding the lens on the support, comprising clamping ,members having. recessed ends thatA engage the edge ofthe lensw 10,.In alens cutter or .marken'the ,combi-b.

nation of a support for the lens, and inea-ns for holding the lens on the support, compris-` ing clampingmembers having recessed: ill-zr.; ner-endsprovlded Withprojections that engagetheedge of thelens.

1,1; In a v,lens cutter or. marker,the comb-ifi nation of @Support 'for the lens,- and means A for holding thelens on the support, compris;

ing clamping. members havingl` forked ends;y provided' wlth inwardlyy extending progeem tions that engage'the edgeoftheilens..

12. [111,11 lens cutter or marker, theconibi?,

nation ot -a support for the lens and means for, holdnfrfthe lens on, the support, ico1n prisin adpistable clampin members .hav-1 ing s otted outer ends ,an recessed 1nne,r.l

ends, and devices thatl engagejthe slotted ends and holdgsaid membersinadjusted po? sition.

1 3.v In a lens cutter orv 'markenthe combi-,f

nation ofasupport for tlielens,.and means for holding the lens on the support, com-1.

prising yadjustable clamping members havv y ing slotted outer ends and forked inner ends,

pivots .on the y support .that enter the slots,

and permit saidmembers-- and longitudinally adjusted ,about the pivots, and means for securing vthe,members-inr adjusted position.

to` be. angularly 14. In a lens cutter or marker, the combi-..-

nation, of a fixed support for the lens during the cutting or marking operation, clamping means for holding the lens in position on the support, a pattern ot substantially transparent flexible material that rests on the lens, and means carried by the support and eX- tending over the outer portion only of the pattern for holding it in place on the lens,

15. 'In a lens cutter or marker, the combination of a fixed support for the lens during the cutting or marking operation, clamps that engage the lens on opposite sides andl hold it in position on the support, a lens pattern of substantially transparent flexible material having an opening of similar shape to the outline of the finished lens and having the axes of the opening marked on it, said pattern resting on the lens, and individual www means carried hy the support and resting 'on the top of the pattern near its outer edges the uncut lens on opposite sides and hold it" in position onthe support, a templet that is placed on top of the lens'a'nd has a cen trally arranged opening that is similar in outline to the finished lens, the axes of the opening being indicated onthe templet, and clamps that rest on the support and templet tor holding the latter in position relative to the lens and graduations.

l?. ln a lens cutter or markenthe combination of a support for the uncut'lens that is provided with graduations, means that engage thepedge of the uncut lens on opposite sides at a plurality of points and hold it in position on the support, a transparent templet that is placed on top ofthe lens and has an' opening vin* its middle portion that issimilar in its outline to that 'of the finished lens, the axes of the openingbeng marked on 'the templet, a. pivot'allyy supported memherlocated below thelens support, studs or pivots mounted on the member, clamps for the templet that are provided with slots, studs arranged to enter the slots, and nuts on the'studs for holding the clamps and templet in position.

18. In a lens cutter or marker, the coinhination ot means for supporting an uncut lens during the cutting or marking operation, means that is slidably mounted on top of the supportingy means and engages the edge of thelens 'tor securing it in position on said supporting means, a lens pattern that is placed over the lens, .and a jointed cutter carrying'arm that is'pivotally lmounted onsaid supporting means. p v

l9.ln a lens cutter or marker, the combination of means for supporting an uncut i-,isrgaeafl ing' means, a templet that is placed over the lens and has an opening that is similar` in shape' to the outline of the nished lens`,' means tor securing the templet in position,I a jointed cutter-carrying arm, a pivot'torfl thearm, "and a support for the pivot that isf pivotally mounted on the supporting means.

20. ln a lens cutter or marker, the corn.-`

hination of a support for thelens, studs, common support for the studs that vis moir-4 ably' mounted on the first support,'and

clamping devices mounted ony the studs that f engage the lens and'hold it on its support.

alpin a' lens cutter or marker, the cour' binat'on ot a supportfor the lens, clamping'j devices that engage the lens and 'hold 1t on the support, and a common' support for the`l A clamping devices that is movahlymounted 'on the irst support. I

22. lna lens cutter or marker, the comhination of a support for the lens, means for holding thel lens on thesupport comprising members whose ends engage they periphery of the uncut lens and are arranged in vsuhstantially the same planewithsaid periph-` ery, a pattern that 'is placed over the lens,"

y said pattern having an opening that is simif,"V lar in shape to the finished outline ofthe ages the outer por-f lens, and means that eno' p tion of the pattern and rholds it in place. l

23. ln a lens cutter or'marker, the "Conil f hination of a support for the lens during'the cutting or marking operation, holding means that engages the edge of the lens and holds'. it on the support, and a support for the t holding means that is rotatably mounted' on` the first support.

- ln Witness whereof, l. vhai/e hereunto set my hand, this tenth day of August, 1911.

` LEVVS lil.. SKNNER. Witnesses: p

'BENJAMIN B. HULL, Rro'nann G. Povnr. 

